What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapists believe that participating in every day activities improves a child’s wellbeing resulting in a safe, healthy and happy life.

Occupational Therapy - helping you with the skills you need to live life to the fullest

Through assessment and treatment Occupational Therapists support children to gain independence, function and to reach their developmental milestones by focusing on development of fine and gross motor skills (physical development), sensory and visual motor skills, learning and concentration or any difficulty a child may present with, that affects their independence in day-to-day activities.

Day-to-day activities Occupational Therapists focus on include;

Play and Leisure – a child learns and practices new skills, makes friends and finds a sense of self through play

Education – participation in education is a key occupation for children.

Occupational Therapists put the fun in functional.

Who can benefit from Occupational Therapy?

A child’s role in life is to play and interact with other children. An OT can assess and evaluate a child’s current development and skills at school, during play, day-to-day activities, and determine whether a child is developing typically for their age group. An OT can help a child overcome these difficulties and challenges by addressing sensory, social, behavioural, motor and environmental issues.

Occupational Therapy can benefit children who experience problems with:

Physical Development (Fine and Gross Motor Skills)

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

Dyspraxia

Motor Planning Difficulties

Developmental Delay

Clumsy movements

Poor handwriting

Difficulty with bilateral skills i.e. using two hands together, co-ordinating different parts of the body.

Sensory Integration

“the organization of sensations for use. Our senses give us information about the physical conditions of our body and the environment around us…The brain must organize all of our sensations if a person is to move and learn and behave in a productive manner.”

Sensory Integration Therapy uses play activities to change the way in which the brain reacts to different stimulation – touch, sound, sight and movement.

Sensory Integration can improve attention, co-ordination, social participation and behaviour, leading to improvements in day-to-day activities and skills.

Who can benefit from Sensory Integration Therapy?

Under or over responsiveness to stimulation e.g. touch, sound, taste

Avoiding noise

Difficulty performing fine motor tasks

Constantly on the move

Difficulty concentrating or focusing on a task

Difficulty maintaining seated position i.e. slumping on the chair, propping self up against object

Appears low toned with clumsy movements

Poor language and social skills

Difficulty transitioning between activities

What do Occupational Therapists hope to achieve?

Occupational Therapists aim to empower and enable children, young people and their families to live their lives as independently and easily as possible.

Occupational Therapists aim to work with the child, their family, and the wider team involved with the child to support their needs and challenges, working collaboratively to achieve their full potential.

Occupational Therapists treat the child holistically, assessing the individual’s physical, psychological, social and emotional barriers that may affect their ability to participate in day-to-day activities (self care, play and education).

Occupational Therapists will help a child to achieve their individual goals and wishes, through meaningful graded activities, adaptations to the environment maximising their involvement in daily life, consequently maximising participation.

﻿To find out more about Occupational Therapy and how it can help your child, please contact us on 0208 6737930